Rangers return to domestic duty this afternoon as they look to secure their first Premiership win since a 2-0 victory against Livingston prior to the recent international break.
The honeymoon period is well and truly over for Philippe Clement and two lacklustre draws against Aberdeen and then Aris Limassol will have him slightly worried heading into the clash against St Mirren today.
The Belgian has inherited a poor squad from Michael Beale, one filled with "junk" summer signings and ageing players who need to be replaced – as described by journalist Robin Bairner.
The tie against Aris in midweek was perfect evidence of exactly what needs to change at Ibrox. The question is, will Clement drop those that need to be dropped and take some risks in the process?
Todd Cantwell and Sam Lammers were largely disappointing against the Cypriot side, and they must be dropped today.
Todd Cantwell and Sam Lammers underperformed in midweek
The former Norwich City gem hasn’t quite lived up to his promise shown towards the end of last season, registering just three goal contributions across 17 matches.
An injury sustained against Celtic in September disrupted his season, and although he has been played out of position on the right wing, there are no excuses for his poor performances of late.
It culminated in a dismal showing against Aris, where he was substituted after just over half an hour gone due to neglecting Clement’s instructions and continuing to drift inside rather than offer more width.
He was obviously disappointed with his early withdrawal, yet even when he was on the pitch he failed to really generate anything meaningful.
The 25-year-old lost possession nine times during his brief spell on the pitch and while the Gers failed to secure the win, they looked more of a danger with Ross McCausland on the right wing.
Lammers wasn’t much better, truth be told, with the Dutchman once again failing to take an opportunity to shine in front of a packed Ibrox.
Two goals in 25 appearances throughout 2023/24 perhaps tells its own story, yet Clement continues to persist with the player in the number ten role, even though it is not working out.
Despite playing over 20 minutes longer than Cantwell, the Dutchman took just two more touches (33) while playing six fewer passes and the game passed him by.
Not only that, but the 26-year-old was careless in possession, losing the ball 13 times along with winning just two out of his 11 ground duels contested and being dribbled past four times in total.
These two performances should give Clement all the information required to make a few changes to his starting XI and there is a player who made an appearance from the bench who has been in better form of late – Tom Lawrence.
Tom Lawrence’s season in numbers
The £22k-per-week maestro has made nine appearances for the Light Blues this term having returned from the serious injury which ruled him out of the majority of the 2022/23 campaign.
Although just two assists sounds fairly underwhelming on the surface, his performances have been impressive, especially under the Belgian.
The 49-year-old gave the former Derby County star only his second Premiership start of the season against Livingston a few weeks ago, and he wasn’t disappointed.
Lawrence was arguably the standout performer. The 29-year-old made five key passes during the tie, along with creating one big chance and succeeding with 100% of his dribble attempts, showing his class in an advanced role behind the striker.
The midfielder also showed some defensive acumen too, winning two of the three duels he contested while also chipping in with one tackle, and he rounded off the tie by securing an assist.
Lawrence followed this up by putting in another creative performance against Aberdeen, taking four shots in total, creating one big chance, and succeeding with 60% of his dribble attempts – three out of five – as he once again gave Clement plenty of evidence as to why he should be the main man in that number ten role.
After having to rely on a cameo from the bench against Aris, surely the former Club Brugge manager will make the correct decision and unleash Lawrence in the starting XI this afternoon.
Comparing Tom Lawrence with Todd Cantwell and Sam Lammers
Despite playing fewer games than both Cantwell and Lammers, the Welshman has actually displayed better stats across a range of metrics.
Not only has he registered more assists in the Premiership during the current campaign (two vs one each), but the midfielder has also created more big chances than the other two put together (three vs one), along with averaging more key passes per game (1.6 vs 1.3 and 0.4) – certainly backing up his performances with impressive statistics.
0
2
0
1
1
2
1.3
0.4
1.6
0
1
3
0.8
1.4
1
Lawrence may have missed a grand total of 49 matches for club and country last season after suffering an Achilles tendon issue in August 2022, yet it is testament to his ability that he recovered and can still play an important part under Clement in this Rangers side.
Of course, his game time will need to be managed more appropriately than several other members of the playing squad, but judging by his recent displays, he is able to create plenty of chances in tight matches and this is the sort of player Clement needs to play behind the striker.
Cantwell will be fighting it out alongside the 29-year-old for a starring role in the attacking midfield slot as it is his favoured position, yet it appears as though Lammers’ Rangers career could be finished before it has even gotten off the ground.
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The former Atalanta forward has struggled to adapt to the physicality of Scottish football and, even in continental matches, the Ibrox faithful have been subject to a series of lacklustre displays which have rendered his confidence to zero.
There were high hopes for him when Clement was announced as the new manager in October, but it soon proved to be a false dawn and following Lawrence’s recent domestic displays, he certainly deserves the right to start against St Mirren in what is now a must-win tie.